Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Puerto Varas

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Varas: $1,130 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Varas
Learn more

Puerto Varas Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Puerto Varas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Puerto Varas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,130 in Puerto Varas.

Austin, TX $2,663
Puerto Varas $1,130

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,624 in Puerto Varas.

Austin, TX $4,133
Puerto Varas $1,624

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,118 in Puerto Varas.

Austin, TX $5,603
Puerto Varas $2,118

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 136% more expensive than in Puerto Varas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Puerto Varas is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.47 CLP 12.3K

66.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$41.05 CLP 40.4K

106.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.58 CLP 7,462

62.53%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.28 CLP 3,231

71.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.99 CLP 977

275.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.80 CLP 785

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 CLP 1,077

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.86 CLP 1,830

101.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.61 CLP 1,582

102.48%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.11 CLP 3,062

34.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.61 CLP 8,476

49.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.68 CLP 4,609

202.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.50 CLP 8,372

90.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.78 CLP 1,751

143.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.95 CLP 1,922

-25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.61 CLP 2,565

72.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.89 CLP 1,862

129.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.50 CLP 1,480

72.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.25 CLP 1,230

88.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.32 CLP 1,296

34.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.13 CLP 1,117

96.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.96 CLP 4,884

99.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.63 CLP 4,557

225.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.40 CLP 1,379

108.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.25 CLP 1,226

176.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 CLP 1,078

35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$229 $229

$255 CLP 251.2K

-10.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$16.06 CLP 15.8K

269.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$30.89 CLP 30.4K

85.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$488 CLP 480.6K

208.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,137 CLP 6.0M

249.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$20.37 CLP 20.1K

159.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$15.32 CLP 15.1K

186.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.1 CLP 60.1K

38.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$623 CLP 612.8K

206.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$402 CLP 396.0K

216.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$819 CLP 805.9K

347.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$619 CLP 609.7K

309.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$532 CLP 523.5K

862.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Puerto Varas

$402 35.6% 68.4% $872

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Puerto Varas

$208 18.4% 48.5% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Puerto Varas

$271 * 24% 24.3% $87

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Puerto Varas

$169 * 15% 52.2% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Puerto Varas

$44 * 3.9% 66% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Puerto Varas

$31 * 2.7% 64% $55

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Puerto Varas

$4.4 * 0.4% 92.5% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $623 in Puerto Varas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 863% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $41.00 in Puerto Varas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $208 per month, with Puerto Varas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇱 Puerto Varas

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

00:37 12:37 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

41,255

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Puerto Varas 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Puerto Varas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Puerto Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Varas wins on cost – living expenses run 136% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Varas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 863% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $623 in Puerto Varas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $488 in Puerto Varas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Varas – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,130 in Puerto Varas versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Varas but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Varas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Puerto Varas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.